DENVER — Colorado ski areas are begging for some help from Mother Nature. The unseasonably warm and dry conditions have forced some resorts to delay their opening.
Powderhorn Resort announced Tuesday that it would have to push back its opening day because of dry conditions. The Western Slope resort was scheduled to open Friday, but no amount of “snow dancing” by Powderhorn crew will help the resort achieve that date.
Other Colorado ski areas are feeling the pain from the warm, dry weather. Snow machines are in overdrive as they try to replicate what Mother Nature is supposed to be doing.
Some resorts are operating with limited terrain. Copper Mountain Resort said not all of its lifts were open to the general public. Breckenridge has only eight of 35 lifts operating.
The owner of the Aspen area's ski resorts is once again providing dinner for its employees who haven't been able to start working because of a lack of snow. Many are seasonal workers who came to the area just to work at the ski areas.
Buttermilk and Snowmass mountains were both due to open Saturday but Aspen Highlands' opening day has been delayed until Dec. 16. The company's two other mountains, Aspen and Snowmass, are open with limited terrain.
Here is a list of the ski areas currently open in Colorado:
